Divine Direction

All my life in the Christian world I have been called a Joesph, and Esther, you know you tend to think of all the glamor of these two peoples lives, however you must see what they went through to get to where they are, and that is the same for all of us, The following was an email I received this morning and just had to blog it. For this is my life, people wonder why I go through the things I do, I even question it, what sin am I doing? Am I in God's will? and if I am why is this thing happening to me, Well here is the answer for me, as well as anyone who is going through the same thing, God Bless and Happy Reading.


Divine DirectionRev. James C. Matthews
"Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt." Genesis 37:28
Often, when we look for direction from God we seek the miraculous. We search for a sign, a voice or a vision to make our paths plain. However, God can and does employ more common (even painful) experiences in our life to provide direction for our lives. We lose a job, experience a break up in a relationship, financial instability, stricken with an illness or something is taken from us. These "life events" may be God's way of causing us to look in another direction. God will often close a door, to point us in the direction of another.
God has a purpose and plan for our lives. The problem is - so do we. Often our plans and God's plan are not the same. We often seek things that are short sighted. God knows this and allows certain events in our lives to point us in the right direction. Often these situations look nothing like what we think God's plan for our lives should look like. We must be careful not to misconstrue God's direction as persecution. "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
If anyone's life demonstrates this principle it's Joseph. Joseph received a dream from God revealing his destiny. In his dream he was in a place of prestige and power. In a matter of days, Joseph went from being his father's favorite son to being a slave in a foreign land. He was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery and taken to Egypt to spend the rest of his life. Unbeknownst to Joseph, all of this was God's way of positioning him to fulfill his purpose in life. Joseph had to go into the pit, to meet Potiphar. Potiphar's wife had to falsely accuse Joseph for him to be sent to prison. It was in prison where Joseph met attendants in Pharaoh's court. It was because of this time in prison that Joseph received the opportunity to meet Pharaoh. When he met Pharaoh he entered into his destiny.
When Joseph laid his head down to sleep that first night in Egypt he was far from home, but squarely within God's plan. God declares: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, "declares the LORD." For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). I am sure Joseph saw the changes in his situation as set backs, when in reality they were setups. God was providing "divine direction" through what appeared to be disaster. Each disappointing turn in his life pointed him in the direction of his destiny and purpose.
Some of you may be experiencing what appears to be a disaster or dead end in your life, when in fact it's direction. As you experience your transition, never lose sight of God's sovereignty. Sometimes God allows us to lose control so that He can take control. When Joseph's brothers threw him into the pit, I am sure he had no idea he had taken the first step toward his destiny. After looking over his life and all that had transpired, Joseph was able to say to his brothers: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result..." (Genesis 50:20). Everything he thought was an accident was really providence. It was divine direction!